Both Apple and FitBit have made their name in the smart wearables industry, with Apple ruling smartwatches, while Fitbit rules the activity trackers industry. However, both the companies have created a new niche where they both competing with each other as Apple has started adding more health features, while Fitbit added apps to its watches.
So, how do you choose between the Fitbit and the Apple Watch? Which one suits you the best? While both Apple and Fitbit are incredible products, which helps you make a decision is what matters to you. To make things easier, we have compared vital aspects of both the watches, including cost and functions that can help you determine which device matches your requirements.
However, before we delve into the comparison, here’s some information about smartwatches!
What’s a smartwatch?
A smartwatch is a wearable device in the style of a wristwatch.
Current smartwatches give a local touchscreen interface for regular use, while an associated smartphone app provides for management and telemetry like long-term biomonitoring.
While initial models could achieve basic tasks, such as calculations, digital time reporting, readings, and game-playing, 2010s smartwatches have added broad functionality closer to smartphones.
This includes mobile apps, a mobile operating system, plus WiFi/Bluetooth connectivity.
A few smartwatches work as compact media players, with FM radio and playback of digital audio and video files through a Bluetooth headset.
Some types, named ‘watch phones’ or vice versa, have mobile cellular functions such as making calls.
While the inner hardware differs, most have a digital visual display, either backlit LCD or OLED.
A few use transflective or electronic paper, to use less power.
A rechargeable lithium-ion battery usually powers them.
External devices may incorporate digital cameras, thermometers, accelerometers, pedometers, heart rate monitors, altimeters.
Also, they come with barometers, compasses, GPS receivers, small speakers, and microSD cards, which are known as storage devices by many different types of computers.
The software may involve digital maps, schedulers and individual organizers, calculators, and many kinds of watch faces.
The watch may interact with external devices like sensors, wireless headsets, or a heads-up display.
Like different computers, a smartwatch may accumulate information from internal or external sensors, and it may manage or recover data from other instruments or computers.
The first digital watch, which started in 1972, was the Pulsar built by Hamilton Watch Company.
“Pulsar” became a label name that was later obtained by Seiko in 1978.
In 1982, a Pulsar watch was issued, which can collect 24 digits, making it the most suitable first watch with user-programmable memory, or “memorybank” watch.
With the start of personal computers in the 1980s, Seiko started to develop computers in the style of watches.
The D409 was the original Seiko model with on-board data entry via a small keyboard and highlighted a dot matrix display.
During the 1980s, Casio started to market a flourishing line of “computer watches,” in addition to its calculator watches.
Most notable was the Casio data bank line.
Novelty “game watches,” like the Nelsonic game watches, were additionally built by Casio and other companies.
Benefits of using a smartwatch
So, what can a smartwatch do besides, say a smartphone that executes it a worthwhile investment?
Following are a few of the critical Smartwatch uses that might convince you to take the jump.
1. They don’t only tell the time
A lot of people favor wearing a watch.
The idea is either functional – basically telling the time, or it is because it is fashionable.
A great watch seems good on someone’s wrist.
However, watches are becoming less and less familiar due to the arrival of the smartphone.
Who wants to buy a watch when their phone shows the time, has a calendar, and has an alarm?
It is a strong point and one that resulted in reducing watch sales in the last few years.
Although, smartwatches resist this trend as they attempt something a little different.
They give all these basic watch features, but they also do tasks that smartphones cannot.
2. A travel friend right on your wrist
James L. McQuivey, an interpreter at Forrester Research, defined a smartwatch as being:
“Someone who understands more about what you want than you do.”
The SmartwatchSmartwatch is capable of producing various vibrations on your wrist to notify you if you should turn right or left when tracking directions.
Instead of continually looking at a smartphone, you are prepared to follow an invisible guide that tells you where to go.
See up and take in the view rather than staring at a map.
3. Locating a phone, key or device is now easier
As you know, losing a phone or keys is a remarkably frustrating experience.
It always appears to occur before some important event that you can’t be late for!
Thankfully a smartwatch can render this difficulty a thing of the past.
Many of them have a “Find Phone” characteristic.
You can combine your phone or any device with it, and you will be ready to play it through your watch whenever you want.
Have you lost your phone? Just push a few buttons on your watch to find it in seconds.
4. They work as a good fitness tracker
Several smartwatches have fitness tracking as a hub feature.
It will assist you in keeping up with your fitness goals.
So if you are ever considering using a fitness tracker or a pedometer, you can substitute it with a useful smartwatch.
What precisely can a smartwatch achieve?
It can calculate steps, distance, calories, heart rate, pulse rate, sleep, and a few even go beyond this to measure other important metrics you might require.
There are also some models presently that are entirely waterproof and ideal for swimmers.
5. Reply to messages & receive calls instantly
If you own a smartwatch on your wrist, you no longer require to bring your phone out of your pocket.
You can take calls or respond to messages on the go.
This is particularly beneficial if you are exercising or in a situation where carrying a phone is just too inconvenient.
Some watches even have voice assistance.
Like something out of Star Trek, you can speak to your wrist and interact with someone thousands of miles away!
6. Your entertainment is on your wrist
Assume you are walking and all of a sudden you need to watch a YouTube video that your friend keeps on talking about.
You are simply one or two clicks away from operating YouTube on your watch.
You can see videos and play music on the go.
It is never going to substitute the big-screen feature of your phone, but for those prompt moments, it is unbeatable for comfort.
Now let’s have a look at the Apple Watch vs. Google’s Fitbit ecosystem to see how the Apple Watch Series 4 equals the top of the line Fitbit Versa to clarify the question: which smartwatch and fitness tracker is best for you?
Fitbit is frequently known for its fitness trackers, but it even offers products that join on being a smartwatch, like the Versa.
The Apple Watch Series, on the other hand, is commonly recognized as a smartwatch first, and a fitness tracker second.
This, for some, is a determining factor in the Apple Watch vs. Fitbit showdown.
The Battle of the Watches
Comparable looking design, but one gives more choices.
When it comes to building quality, the Apple Watch appears in two different flavors.
There is an aluminum alternative, which is what most people buy, and there is also a more costly version that is built of stainless steel, which is more expensive and arguably great looking.
The Apple Watch Series comes in three separate colorways: silver, space gray, and gold.
The Fitbit Versa is created out of an aluminum casing also, but they don’t give a stainless steel choice, and it just comes in black and silver.
Both are amazingly well made, and you won’t be dissatisfied with either device.
Apple further offers two distinct size options, at 40mm and 44mm, whereas Fitbit gives one.
To cap it off, Apple gives an LTE version for Series 4 where you can use the watch alone and leave your phone at home.
When you go, OLED, it is difficult to go back.
While the design may be alike in some ways, the displays are a different story.
The Fitbit Versa doesn’t have a terrifying screen – it is big enough to view all your information, and text is readable.
But, the Apple Watch’s OLED display and the higher resolution screen look a lot nicer with stabler color reproduction, darker blacks, and less pixelated visuals compared to the Versa.
The Versa’s screen seems outdated when related to the Apple Watch Series 4.
Apple Watch vs. Fitbit Versa Software alliance
One of the significant differences among the Apple Watch and Fitbit is software and how it blends with your smartphone and daily life.
The Apple Watch Series 4 can be worked with an iPhone, whereas the Fitbit Versa can be applied with an iPhone or Android device.
With Fitbit, there is just one app you want to download to check the watch’s battery time, your health data, and workout data.
With the Apple Watch, you have various apps, like the Health app, Watch, and Activity.
We believe Fitbit’s app is more streamlined than Apple’s offering though that is not necessarily a good thing.
The Apple Watch can even be utilized as a relay device for your iPhone to receive phone calls or be handled as a walkie talkie since it has a built-in speaker.
Plus, it has Siri, which goes excellent on Series 4.
The Fitbit Versa cannot receive calls or send voice notes to your friends.
It even can’t ask a voice assistant to understand what the weather is tomorrow, or when your preferred team is performing next.
Specialties and Pricing
When it occurs to health and fitness, both devices shine at fitness tracking and give nearly the same level of detail in data when working out and tracking everyday activities.
Both the Apple Watch and Fitbit Versa give heart rate, steps, calories, and workout tracking.
They are even both waterproof up to 50 meters.
Still, there are a few features that one holds that the other doesn’t, and vice versa.
Beginning with the Apple Watch Series 4, Series 4 has GPS built-in, so if you rely massively on this feature for your workouts, the Versa does not allow this.
The Apple Watch also gives ECG in the US to trace any abnormal measurements and likely helping to identify atrial fibrillation.
The Apple Watch holds a much-heralded Fall Detection feature that detects if you have had a hard fall, and it will call emergency if you are unresponsive for a minute.
But, all of those features take a toll on the battery life, and the Apple Watch Series 4 battery will barely continue for about a day and a half.
Maybe two if you are staying careful about power consumption.
On the other side, the Fitbit Versa holds sleep tracking, which Apple doesn’t give natively.
Apple Watch purchasers can use third-party apps for sleep tracking, though.
The Fitbit Versa can surely last four or five days on a single battery charge with constant usage.
Plus, if you are looking for a smartwatch that you don’t have to plug in every night continually, the Fitbit Versa is the best contender.
The Fitbit Versa sells for $199, while the Apple Watch Series 4 40mm begins at $399.
Although the AppleInsider cost guide usually has discounts of $20 or more.
Still, that is a rather big jump in price and can be a significant factor when choosing which is the better device for you.
Smartwatch vs. Fitness Tracker
If you are looking for the best Smartwatch in the market, the Apple Watch Series 4 is the fittest device out right now.
Except it appears with a premium price tag.
However, if you are only looking for a fabulous, basic fitness tracker that will work for days without a charge and that appears to have some smartwatch abilities, the Fitbit Versa may be the best device for you.
Where to purchase
If you have settled on an Apple Watch vs. Fitbit, but need to find the lowest price, the AppleInsider Apple Watch Price Guide gives daily deals at your fingertips.
Apple Watch Series 4 devices are usually on sale with savings at the rush time of up to $70 off GPS + Cellular units.
People seeing to enter the Apple Watch ecosystem while adhering to a budget can also choose an Apple Watch Series 3 for $199.
Fancy the Fitbit Versa?
Shoppers can buy the fitness tracker from Amazon, frequently with double-digit savings.
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